England Need Wayne Rooney, Says Manager Hodgson

England manager Roy Hodgson insists captain Wayne Rooney is still a major part of his Euro 2016 plans and I want to see him in team. It doesn’t mean the youngsters performed well against World Cup holders Germany and we don’t need him. Manchester United forward Rooney, who was appointed England captain by Roy Hodgson in August 2014, was sidelined by a knee injury as Hodgson’s team came from two goals down to win Saturday’s friendly 3-2, with the younger generation flourishing in his absence in Berlin.

Tottenham’s 19-year-old Dele Alli was man of the match and his partnership with club-mate Harry Kane continued to develop as the striker, 22, scored the goal that started England’s comeback. Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy increased the pressure on Rooney’s place with his first England goal but Hodgson said: “I have to repeat Wayne is our captain and he has captained the team extremely well in the past two years.”

“He took us through a qualifying campaign where we had a complete success with 10 wins out of 10. It doesn’t please me too much that it is suggested now that the moment he is injured and does not play he gets jettisoned in some way. He doesn’t deserve that,” he added. If Hodgson keeps faith with Kane and Alli in their current positions – and bearing in mind Vardy was also on the scoresheet and Arsenal’s Danny Welbeck was back in England colours for the first time in a year after injury problems – Rooney is facing the biggest challenge to his place in more than a decade.

Hodgson insists the 30-year-old, England’s record goalscorer with 51 goals in 109 appearances, will not allow the new breed to rest on their laurels. He said: “When he comes back and is fit again he is going to be putting enormous pressure on these players, just like these players will be putting enormous pressure on him – and that is the situation we are looking forward to.” Roy Hodgson side is going to face Netherlands on Tuesday, 29 March at Wembley Stadium. You can get tickets for this game and various other international games with very affordable prices from Ticket4Football.com.